LAS VEGAS – Fighting for the second time in less than a month probably wasn’t the reason for Danny Downes’ loss to fellow lightweight Jeremy Stephens.

Instead, Stephens’ veteran experience, quick hands, violent combinations and dominating top game were just too much for the Duke Roufus-trained youngster to handle.

The bout was the featured attraction on the preliminary card of Saturday’s UFC event, The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale. It headlined the night’s free Facebook stream.

The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale took place at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The preliminary card streamed for free prior to the night’s main-card broadcast on Spike TV.

Downes’ lanky frame and lunging shots presented Stephens some early problems. However, Stephens often countered the advances with his lightning-quick combos. Downes’ best shot at victory came with a guillotine-choke attempt in the second round, but Stephens ultimately escaped and unloaded a vicious top game before working a deep, deep kimura attempt. Stephens ultimately let the hold go but popped his opponent with a series of forearm strikes. Miraculously, Downes got back to his feet and survived the round.

But Stephens battered and bloodied him with elbows and body shots from the clinch, knees to the head and ribs, and lunging punches in the third round. Downes, who undoubtedly proved his toughness in the late-booked fight, fired off some last-ditch-effort submission attempts, but Stephens continued to make him pay with punches from top position.

In the end, the judges scored it 30-27, 30-26 and 30-26 for Stephens.

“Danny Downes, I kid you not, is a tough son of a gun,” Stephens said.

Stephens (20-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC) has now won four of his past five fights, and the lone loss came via split decision to fellow contender Melvin Guillard. Downes (8-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC), who recently took a fight outside the UFC with the company’s permission, is 1-2 over his past three Zuffa fights.

Roop upsets Grispi with body shot

Josh Grispi’s road back to a once-promised title shot just got a lot longer.

The former top WEC featherweight contender suffered a surprising loss to fellow WEC vet George Roop, who used solid stand-up, a dominant top game, effective ground and pound, and vicious elbow strikes to score an eventual third-round TKO victory via body shot.

The momentum really shifted in Roop’s favor after he landed a second-round front kick to the gut, which sent Grispi to the mat. The blow improved Roop’s confidence, and he soon used his long reach and increasingly accurate strikes to pick apart an opponent who seemingly checked out mentally soon after.

Even after scoring some takedowns early in the third round, Grispi could do little with the position. Roop remained active off his back, easily got back to his feet, and battered Grispi with punches when he continued working for takedowns from the clinch. And once he got distance, Roop closed continued to unload an array of punches and kicks that simply forced Grispi to cover up. A lunging right hook to the ribs finally sent Grispi to the mat for good, and the ref mercifully halted the bout.

The end came at the 3:14 mark of the round.

“All I can promise you is that every time George Roop steps in the cage, you’re going to see a better fighter,” Roop said.

Roop (12-7-1 MMA, 2-2 UFC) successfully rebounds from a return-to-the-UFC loss to recent title challenger Mark Hominick. Grispi (14-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC), whose title fight with Aldo earlier this year was scrapped when the champ became injured, is now 0-2 since then.

Bailey dominant but fails to entertain against McGillivray

After fighting for organizations such as Strikeforce, M-1 and KOTC, Shamar Bailey finally got a win on MMA’s biggest stage. It just wasn’t a very exciting one.

The wrestler easily took down, smothered and controlled Ryan McGillivray, a fellow cast member from “The Ultimate Fighter 13,” en route to a unanimous-decision victory. All three judges scored the fight 30-27.

Bailey scored frequent takedowns, did some damage with an early right hand to the eye, and controlled the action on the mat for a lopsided (but far from entertaining) performance. Bailey, who was Team Dos Santos’ No. 1 pick, forced McGillivray (Team Dos Santos’ No 2 pick) into fighting off his heels and while backing away. But Bailey’s takedowns couldn’t be stopped, and McGillivray spent much of the bout on his back and fighting to get back to his feet.

In the night’s first fight between “TUF 13” cast members, Justin Edwards started fast but ultimately gassed early, and a similarly fatigued Clay Harvison held on for a close split-decision victory.

After an initial swarm of punches and kicks, Edwards scored a hip-toss takedown and spent the rest of the round firing off submission attempts and trading heavy blows. But he visibly tired by the second round, and Harvison mixed in some solid shots. But he, too, also fatigued, and the latter half of the second round and the duration of the third provided a slower pace.

Despite the potential adrenaline dumps and conditioning issues, both fighters continued pressing the action. However, an assault early in the third round likely was the deciding factor in the fight, which Harvison won via scores of 28-29, 29-28 and 29-28.

Harvison (9-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC), a quarterfinalist for Team Lesnar, is now 7-1 over his past eight fights. Edwards (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), a replacement fighter for Team Dos Santos, suffers his first career pro loss.

Jorgensen scores KO from guard

After suffering a blowout decision loss to champ Dominick Cruz in his final WEC bout, Scott Jorgensen’s comeback trail began with his first official UFC fight. And he stepped up to the occasion in a major way.

After initially taking some blows while standing and failing to get a takedown, Jorgensen finally closed the distance and got the fight to the ground. After muscling out of Stone’s triangle attempt, Jorgsen worked from full guard and unloaded a shockingly crisp right hand. The blow landed flush – from his knees – and a follow-up shot brought about the referee’s intervention.

The rare from-guard knockout came at the 4:01 mark of the opening round.

“I made a statement,” said Jorgensen, who proudly proclaimed he’s “back” after the fight. “God that looked beautiful. I train a lot on the ground with ground and pound.”

Jorgensen (12-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who earned his title shot on the strength of a five-fight WEC win streak, is now 6-1 over his past seven fights. Stone (9-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC), also a WEC transplant, now has suffered back-to-back KO losses with three defeats in his past four fights.

Duran survives then submits Rivera

Both Reuben Duran and Francisco Rivera had their moments in an entertaining and event-opening bantamweight bout, but the former ultimately earned the victory with a dominant third round.

Rivera had success standing, and he nearly ended the bout on a few occasions with guillotine-choke attempts. But the momentum shifted in the second, and Duran launched an offensive attack from back mount. Duran then reclaimed the position in the third round after a scramble and ultimately secured his hooks and forced the tap-out with a rear-naked choke.

The end came at the 1:57 mark.

Duran (8-3-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC), who suffered a split-decision loss to Takeya Mizugaki in a March UFC debut, is now 5-1 over his past six fights. Rivera (5-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC), a onetime WEC fighter, now has dropped two straight.